Aleida Diaz
'Aleida Diaz '''is a main character and was a former inmate of Litchfield Penitentiary, until she was reincarcarated in Season Seven. She is played by Elizabeth Rodriguez. Aleida is the mother of current Maximum Security inmate Dayanara Diaz. Personality Aleida has often displayed selfish and narcissistic tendencies and uses slightly unconventional, usually inappropriate parenting techniques. Even though she does not always display the greatest example to her children, she is funny, passionate, and a tough character when she chooses to be. She is often guilty of taking little interest in the responsibilities of motherhood, particularly seen after Daya's siblings are born. Later flashbacks show Aleida as a selfish person being much more concerned with her material lifestyle provided by her boyfriend than her role as a parent. Her relationship with her oldest child, Daya, is noticeably convoluted. (Their first encounter is a wordless mother-to-daughter slap.) Aleida’s immaturity seems most noticeable within this relationship, as it often seems like her child is more like a younger sister. She often leaves Daya to take care of the rest of the children for her, and mocks her interest in drawing and anime. She also mocks her idealistic views on love and sees sex and relationships as ways to get material benefits; although in "You Also Have a Pizza", she describes love as ''"when your cheeks hurt from smiling" but also as "24/7 deep dick fucking". However, Aleida does mature somewhat in Season Three, admitting to Ruiz how much she loved being loved by her children. We also see that she wanted the best for Daya when she was younger, and often agonised over decisions about her development, eventually doing the best thing even though it pained her. However, she was quick to snap back into a selfish frame of mind when her daughter became too close to a camp counselor, Stacy. Later seasons show Aleida as less of a sarcastic inside-minded prison-mother and more of an outside-minded, inexperienced, and uncertain real mother. News of her early release is not met by joy but fear. (Even calling referring to her release as “being evicted.”) She starts to worry about her ability to liberate her kids from foster care and be a real parent - especially since her boyfriend Cesar was sent to prison. This time does, however, afford Aleida the chance to embrace and work on her non-criminal skills. She (sometimes lackadaisically) studies for her GED and begins to dream of opening a nail salon. She is also extremely jealous, often accusing Cesar of cheating on her, especially when he acts kindly towards Daya. She has apparently forgiven him for sleeping with her daughter as she continues to accept his visits. However, in "Don't Make Me Come Back There", when Gloria questions whether Cesar will be able to handle looking after another child - referring to Daya's daughter - Aleida admits to Gloria that she knows Cesar will "slide another girl on his dick and make her help out", ''and that she knows ''"he's gotta do what he's gotta do". She also has some racist tendencies as seen when she believes that black people are "stupid, and lazy,"calling Soso by a racial slur, and saying that all white males are "pussies." Aleida is part of the Latina group of prisoners and enjoys a position second only to Mendoza, with whom she has a close friendship. The development of Aleida and Daya's relationship beautifully rollercoasters throughout the seasons. It is seen that she is extremely protective of her children. After Eva visits her drug-addicted and dealing boyfriend, Aleida finds out and takes her out. He intervenes which causes her to become so angry that she tries to kill him. She is arrested for this. Later, when Daya reveals she is using Eva as a connect, Aleida berates her and says it's not fair. When Daya says she'll use Lucy too, Aleida begins to strangle her. Physical Appearance Aleida is of average height with a petite figure. She has chestnut brown hair in waves which hang just below her shoulders and brown eyes. She is 37 years old during season 7. Biography For a list of episodes featuring Aleida's flashbacks, see here. Before Litchfield When Aleida was a teen, her father was incarcarated and her mother was an alcoholic. Despite previously failing to stay out of prison, her mother remains hopeful her husband will get out. In order to get money Aleida was told by her mother to dance and/or even have sex with pedophilic men. Eventually, Aleida decided to abandon her mother as her alcoholicism got worse and she began hanging with her friend. They underage drank together and in order to get money and free icecream, A still teen Aleida agreed to do be a prostitute for the icecream man. Aleida was soon sent to Juvie, where she and her friend were together. Upon her release, her mother picks her up and is still alcoholic. Her friend arrives and offers her a lift and Aleida decides to abandon her again and live with her friend. ("Minority Deport") Aleida had five children presumably from different fathers. She had two daughters with her boyfriend Cesar. Before her other children were born, Dayanara and Aleida lived with Aleida's aunt, Lola Diaz. Aleida always wanted the best for Daya, and sent her to an upstate camp for children. ("Don't Make Me Come Back There") She often left her eldest daughter, Dayanara, to take care of her other children while she went out to expensive dinners with her boyfriends. She allowed her current boyfriend Cesar to set up a drug lab in her apartment and helped him with manufacturing. She was presumably incarcerated for drug related charges. She mentions at one point that she took the fall for Cesar. When her children came to visit her, she demanded to know of Cesar's doings and was disinterested in her children's activities. She accused Daya of sleeping with Cesar, which eventually drove her daughter to initiate a relationship with him. ("The Chickening") Season One Upon Daya's arrival in Litchfield, Aleida welcomes her daughter by slapping her across the face. Since she has adopted Maritza as her prison daughter, she refuses to pay any attention to Daya. Aleida enjoys a high position in the Latina group and has the women exclude Daya on her command. Eventually, she welcomes Daya into the Latina group because only Daya can thread her eyebrows the way she likes them. "We're family," she says. "We argue but we still do shit for each other". She gives into Daya's demand to be included in the domino games although she makes Daya keep score. She notices Daya's doodlings of Bennett and quickly figures out the two are in a relationship. She mocks her daughter's naivete and suggests that Daya get involved with guards who can grant her privileges instead. "What do you fuck men for? Love?", she laughs. She attempts to seduce Bennett, but he rebuffs her advances. When Daya becomes pregnant, Aleida tells Cesar, who informs Bennett. She agrees to help her with pregnancy and insist that Bennett do the right thing and support Daya. She disagrees with Bennett's plan to arrange furlough for Daya to cover up his involvement because furlough is hardly ever granted. When she tries to get extra food from the kitchen for Daya, Red approaches her to frame Mendez for rape. Aleida convinces Daya to go along with Red's plan and when their first attempt fails, she works with Red and her girls to ensure that Daya and Mendez are caught having sex. When Gloria assumes control of the kitchen, Aleida is seen working along with the other Latina women. Season Two Aleida clashes with Gloria when she feels Gloria is becoming too motherly with Daya. "You're not her mother," she tells her. "I didn't get a belly full of stretch marks to be no fucking tia". She steals yogurt from Gloria's mini-fridge, remembering that dairy products used to ease the infant Daya's constipation. She eventually wins her daughter back and their relationship improves, with Daya going to her for advice much more often. Despite the clash, Aleida and Gloria remain close. Season Three Aleida meets with Delia Powell, Mendez's mother, about the latter adopting Daya's baby. Aleida agrees as long as Delia sends her money ("Bed Bugs and Beyond"). Daya later figures out that Aleida went behind her back and becomes angry with her. Aleida tries to convince Daya to give the baby up to Delia so that the baby can have a better life. She later recants her opinion and tells Daya to keep the baby. Aleida's stance changes multiple times throughout the season. After Daya gives birth, Aleida tells Delia that the baby has died. The baby, which is actually alive and healthy, goes to live with Cesar along with Aleida's other children. After years of fighting and hatred, Aleida and Daya finally hug and share a meaningful moment of reconciliation on the beach of the lake ("Trust No Bitch"). Season Four Aleida is distraught to find out Cesar Velazquez is sentenced to ten years prison. She has no idea how she'll get her kids and Daya's baby out of foster care. Aleida is told she is viable to be released from prison early, due to good behaviour. She originally tries to pass her GED exam to better secure a job, but the work is beyond her. She wonders what she's going to do for a job when she gets out. Celebrity chef inmate Judy King notes how good Aleida's manicure is and says she'd pay her to do the same for her. Aleida then vows to open a beauty salon when she gets out. She asks Gloria to protect Daya for her. Aleida is released and picked up by Cesar's current girlfriend Margarita. She is shocked to learn Margarita had a baby with Cesar and the pair clash when it is revealed Margarita has a new boyfriend. She won't wait ten years for Cesar to be released and Aleida walks out. She tries to stay with her cousin Jazmina but finds out Jazmina is completely broke and has sold most of her possessions to try to make ends meet. Aleida returns defeated to Margarita, who was fully expecting her and offers her a place to stay. At the end of the season, Aleida watches Joe Caputo's press announcement about Poussey Washington's death at the prison. He does not state her name, just that a young woman lost her life there. Aleida looks scared as she watches, likely wondering if the victim was Daya. Season Five Having been released the previous season, Aleida was not involved or even aware of the prison riot. When Gloria finds a cell phone she calls her, but lies and says everything is fine on the inside. She tells Gloria to only look after herself and Daya and forget about everyone else. Later, when Aleida sees the riot on the news she assumes they're lying and calls the station, who invite her on as a guest after realizing she was a former inmate. Judy King arrives at the station as well, unaware that the two of them would be on together. While speaking about the riot, Judy accidently lets slip that an inmate shot a guard. She goes on to say "maybe you'd know her" describing Daya as the Spanish girl who doesn't speak spanish, and the one "with the puffy lips." Aleida realizes that Judy is talking about her daughter. When Daya calls her, she tries to convince her to tell officers it was in self defense, but Daya says no. We see flashbacks of Aleida giving Daya bad advice during her childhood. Aleida arrives at the prison in time to see Daya being arrested but is kept on the sidelines by police, despite making several attempts to get past the police and reach her daughter. She calls Gloria and yells at her for lying about the situation and then watches with a look of concern as Daya is taken away. Season Six In Season Six, Aleida is first shown as being refused a job from a grocery store. She gets trapped in a pyramid scheme and begins to sell Nutriherbal. She decides to visit Daya but Daya is quickly taken away by Stefanovic. She is angered and Hellman tries to move her forcifully. She shouts at him and tells him to stop beating woman and he is ready to hit her until Rick Hopper intervenes. Rick Hopper buys her a drink from the vending machine and walks her out. She goes to see her kids, Lucy, Emiliano Diaz and Christina at their group home. Emiliano is attacked by another group home kid and Aleida berates the woman's quality of housing. She tells Aleida to be thankful as group home owners rarely take all children. Aleida is appaled to discover Lucy Diaz, her 2nd youngest, age twelve has a boyfriend. They state that they don't want to live with Aleida again, Aleida says that Lucy does. Later, Aleida later attends a Social Services meeting and her and another woman criticise the logic of Social Services. The man teaching the class states that the system is so overcrowded that the bare minimum could earn them back their children. Aleida decides to try campaigning to sell NutriHerbal to the attendees. ("Changing Winds") Aleida is seen attempting so sell NutriHerbal door-to-door, she is unsuccessful and is even messed with by a child. The child pretends she doesn't have a mother, joking and then states her mother is stuck in that too and calls her mother stupid. Aleida stands up for the girl's daughter shouting that she's just doing her best while the door is slammed in her face. She goes back to Margarita's and Later, she sets up outside the prison and is quite successful, using children to try convince their parents. She talks about her prison experience to a man who is visiting his girlfriend. Hopper arrives and shuts her down but also invites her on a date, inviting her to have lobster, (much like Aleida dreamed of in "The Chickening"). ("Gordons") Aleida and Hopper are fighting and randomly decide to have sex. She arrives at the prison and agrees to Daya to start dealing the drugs, (due to the lack of success of her NutriHerbal). She then arrives at Margarita's and sees that Margarita has been kicked out by the landlord's wife (she normally gives the landlord a handjob to stay). Aleida isn't invited to stay with Margarita's mother and so Hopper invites her to live with them. At his house, she criticises him for cumming early and mocks him for believing she did too. ("Break the String") When Hopper goes to work, Aleida gives him the Chocolate Chip Nookie flavour (with drugs stuck to the bottom). This idea works well at the beginning. She is quickly hesistated living with Nana Hopper, who is demanding and so Aleida locks her in her room. ("Chocolate Chip Nookie") Later, Hopper discovers the drugs and confronts Aleida while freeing his Nana. She leaves but returns to get her things. While she's getting her stuff together, Hopper tells her that they can smuggle in the drugs for three months in order to save just enough money to get her kids back. They then initiate sex and Aleida worries of Nana hearing, with Hopper saying she's basically death. ("Well This Took a Dark Turn") Aleida visits Daya, and is confused why she is so sloppy, originally thinking she's tired. She realises that Daya is high and Daya faints, with Young asking if she's okay. Aleida just tells Daya to go get sleep and is left speechless. She then arrives home and tells Hopper. He asks if she wants to stop but she decides that if they stopped, the gap in the drug market would be filled and she would get high in other ways, while she would also suffer in the world with the inability to get her kids back. ("Be Free") Season Seven Aleida is sent back to Litchfield MAX because she assaulted her 13 year old daughter's boyfriend who is said to be "twice her age.” When Daya reveals that her new way to get drugs into the prison is by utilizing her siblings, primarily Eva, Aleida tells her that selling drugs should be done so that children don’t have to. When Daya doesn’t care and even says she hopes to enlist her youngest sister (and Aleida’s youngest daughter), Lucy, as well, Aleida punches her in the throat, then begins to strangle her. It can be assumed that Aleida is trying to kill her to keep her other children from becoming involved in illegal activities. It is last time Aleida and Daya are shown, so it is unclear whether Aleida is successful in killing her. (“Here's Where We Get Off”) Relationships. Romantic *Cesar (boyfriend as of before S1, ex as of S4, boyfriend/hook ups as of S7) *Rick Hopper (boyfriend as of S6; questionable as of S7) Family * Lola Diaz (aunt) * Valeria Diaz (mother) * Mama Lourdes (...) * Jazmina (cousin) * Dayanara Diaz (daughter) * Eva Diaz (daughter) * Lucy Diaz (daughter) * Christina Diaz (daughter) * Emiliano Diaz (son) * Armaria (granddaughter) Friends *Gloria Mendoza (best friend) *Maritza Ramos (prison daughter) *Marisol Gonzales (spanish harlem) *Maria Ruiz (spanish harlem; however in season 4, they are strained when Aleida believes she'll get introuble for the drugs that they were distributing in the salon) *Blanca Flores (spanish harlem) *Brook Soso (spanish harlem) *Margarita - let her live with her in season 4-6; Cesar's girlfriend *Red *April Enemies *Sophia Burset - started the transphobic campaign against her *Judy King *Gina Murphy - disrespected Gina by not knowing her name in season 1 *Jazmina - stole her money *Charlie Coates *Dayanara Diaz - They are in business war; rivals. Memorable Quotes Trivia *She states that she doesn't swallow ("Chocolate Chip Nookie") * According to their Wikipedia pages, Elizabeth Rodriguez, who plays Aleida, is only two years older than Dascha Polanco, who plays her daughter Daya. Rodriguez was born on 1980, and Polanco in 1982 *She refers all the other inmates as "stank-ass bitches". Gallery Season 1 Promotional Photos AleidaPromo1.png AleidaPromo2.png AleidaPromo3.png "I Wasn't Ready" AlediaEp1A.png Others Appearances Navigation Diaz, Aleida Category:Kitchen Staff Diaz, Aleida Diaz, Aleida Category:Season 3 Characters Category:Season 4 Characters Category:Released Inmates Category:Under Construction Category:Season 5 Characters Category:Characters based on real people Category:Previously Released Inmates Category:MAX inmates Category:Season 6 Characters Category:Season 7 Characters Category:Season 3 Antagonists